Alastair Cook steps down as England captain

[S.Kennedy]

The media are already hyping Root up as potentially the 'new Vaughan'!

 

[Furball]

I hope not.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I hope not.

You not a fan of Vaughan? Much prefer that era to Strauss and Cook's stodge.

 

[Bijed]

You not a fan of Vaughan? Much prefer that era to Strauss and Cook's stodge.

Think he was probably referring to how Vaughan's run-scoring dropped off after he was made captain.

Or maybe even to how Vaughan's turned out post-retirement?

 

[srbhkshk]

Genuine question: How many of the current captains in test cricket would most of us consider natural leaders? Do Kohli, Smith and Williamson qualify?

Good point, Williamson certainly doesn't look like a natural leader on the field, and Kohli is far too aggressive (in his behavior, not decisions) so I almost think he is more suited to a sidekick vice-captain kind of role rather than captain, Smith to me looks like the most natural of them all.

 

[Furball]

Think he was probably referring to how Vaughan's run-scoring dropped off after he was made captain.

Bingo.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Alright.

Yes Vaughan's average dipped by about 14.00. At the extreme you have Bearley who was in the team solely for his captaincy!

 

[marc71178]

I agree in regards to the international set-up however, although it has been the country's game, it has also been the counties' loss. Since central contracts you get a sense that the counties have been reduced (in the eyes of the hierarchy and unfortunately some of the players) into merely a rehearsal school for the test team. Some of the ECB chicanery has been infuriating, for instance, Bairstow being barred from playing against Middlesex in what is tantamount to a final by (Middlesex's) Strauss, and players (e.g. Woakes) being yanked from a county match mid-match.

Bit disingenuous to bring up Bairstow when the decision was made weeks if not months before the game, at a point when it wasn't known as being a title decider.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Bit disingenuous to bring up Bairstow when the decision was made weeks if not months before the game, at a point when it wasn't known as being a title decider.

Disingenuous? Me? In what manner? There was certainly enough of a ruckus at the time over the Bairstow decision - I'm not the only one who thought it was a shocking move by Strauss and his ECB chums,

https://yorkshireccc.com/news/view/5169/club-statement-on-jonny-bairstow-availability

Enough of the newspapers and the pundits followed Yorkshire's line.

Bairstow had had sixteen days rest before the 20th September match, and had only played five days cricket in five weeks (indeed, he had not played a First Class game since 11th - 14th August). He wouldn't be playing again until 7th October. You have to remember three quicks had been released for their counties to play those final matches. Finn, who had played three/four Pakistani tests and followed that up with two games for Middlesex, would actually play in that very game, Stokes played two Tests and had injury niggles, and was allowed to play Durham's final two matches - you might also cite Wood, rebounding, hastily as it transpired, from injury.

Jos Butler, another bat destined for that first Bangladesh fixture, had been released for Lancashire's own fixture against Middlesex.

Further, any potential fixtures in the final matches of the Championship could quite possibly be either 'title deciders' or 'relegation battles', such is the competitiveness and smallness of the division (granted, such a tight nailbiting finish to the 2016 season does not happen every year).

 

[StephenZA]

The idea of someone being a "natural leader" is so nebulous and hard to judge without seeing the person in question actually lead though. And even then, I'm not quite sure who qualifies and who doesn't.

Genuine question: How many of the current captains in test cricket would most of us consider natural leaders? Do Kohli, Smith and Williamson qualify?

I personally don't think so, for different reasons, but would love to hear others' opinions on this.

People can learn to lead but natural leaders are easy to see, largely because they communicate with people well (generally in their own personal way) and importantly people respond to them positively. These people are difficult to find. Of current/recent captains. Faf is a natural leader, so was G.Smith and Dhoni. Amla, deVillers are not. For my mind Kohli and Williamson are not natural leaders; Smith I`m unsure about. Root for me is not a natural leader; but I don`t know who else England could pick.

 

[burr]

Question: Is this the youngest captaincy set of the Big 3 (India, England, Australia) ever? By Big 3 I mean economic, not results.

 

[Furball]

Mid 90s? Tendulkar was a fairly young captain, ditto Atherton.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Kim Hughes and Ian Botham?

 

[Compton]

I suppose that makes my lot Lancscumshite

Lan****ster, surely?

 

[Shri]

People can learn to lead but natural leaders are easy to see, largely because they communicate with people well (generally in their own personal way) and importantly people respond to them positively. These people are difficult to find. Of current/recent captains. Faf is a natural leader, so was G.Smith and Dhoni. Amla, deVillers are not. For my mind Kohli and Williamson are not natural leaders; Smith I`m unsure about. Root for me is not a natural leader; but I don`t know who else England could pick.

I am calling BS on that. Border didn't fit that description but was a great cap.

 

[Burgey]

Big question is whether he'll be able to continue hosting his LA-based talk show and skipper England at the same time.

 

[StephenZA]

I am calling BS on that. Border didn't fit that description but was a great cap.

My comment was what is a natural leader, not that people who are not natural leaders can`t captain well.
AB turned into a fantastic Captain and was even what the team needed when he reluctantly took the mantle on. He almost single handedly kept the Aus team going during a tough period, a period of medicority, a cricketer who stood out as a far superior player. But was he a natural leader, no he was not, he was a fighting player who dragged a team forward and up.